Improvement in apparatus for destructive distillation



L. ATWOOD.

Oil Still.

No. 23,337. Patented Mar. 29, 1859.

Witnesses:

Inventor,

AM- PHOTO-LTHR C0 N.I. (OSBORNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LUTHER ATVVOOD, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,337, dated March 29,1859.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER ATWOOD, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for De structive Distillation and Garbonization, applicableto the distillation of wood, bones, bituminous coal, and other solidsubstances which maintain their figure during decomposition, and whichyield liquid products at comparatively low temperatures; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,reference being had to the annexed drawing, and to the letters ofreference thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in con1- bining a verticaldistilling tower or chamber, arranged so as to receive both the fuel andthe substance operated on, with a condenser and a means of controllingor regulating the draft, by which the products of combustion of the fuelare circulated through the mass acted on, so that the process ofdecomposition can be carried on below a temperature that would effectcombustion before the liquid and volatile products have been driven offby the heat, the whole apparatus being so arranged and combined as touse the current of products in its natural or upward direction; but moreparticularly to describe my invention, I will refer to the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part of this specification, and representing avertical longitudinal section of the apparatus.

Letter A represents a vertical airtight hollow cylinder of brick orother suitable mate rial, which I call a distilling-tower, provided nearthe bottom with a grate, G, below which is an ash-pit, D, and adjustabledraftpassage 0. Just above the grate is a manhole and stopper, ]3, to beopened for the purpose of removing residue, but closed and luted duringthe operation. The top of the distillingtower A is covered with anair-tight cover provided with an aperture, It, for charging, which iskept covered and luted during the operation.

h is a long thin sheet-metal pipe, the length of which may vary, say,from fifteen to fifty feet, according to the temperature of theatmosphere, and which performs the office of condenser, communicatingwith the distillingtower by the elbow H.

XVhen the apparatus is used in the open air, the elbow H may be madewith a sleevejoint, so that the pipe may be turned in a directioncorresponding with the wind for the purpose of accommodating the draft,and also, for the same reason, additional adjustable able distance fromeach other around the circumference of the tower, so that one or morecan be opened in a favorable position, no matter in what direction thewind blows.

The size of the opening 0 may be adjusted or regulated by the slidingdoor or damper c, as shown in the drawing; or a taper plug or some loosebricks may be used, or any means of practically increasing or decreasingthe volume of air passing to the fire.

The distillingchamber in a practical apparatus may be from two to tenfeet or more in diameter, there being no limit to the size except thepractical difficulty of withdrawing residue, which may be overcome inpart by additional discharging-apertures, similar to B, at suitabledistances around the circumference of the distilling-tower.

In the use of the above-described apparatus I charge thedistilling-tower through the pieces of coke or clear coal, and then fillit up with the wood, bones, or coal to be decomposed, and close thecharging-aperture, luting the joints. I then ignite the coke withkindling-stuff thrown loosely into the ash-pit under the grate, orplaced on the grate under the coke, the products of combustion passingupward through the mass acted on, gradually decomposing the same, thevapors and volatile products of decomposition escaping into the thinsheetunetal pipe h, where, by the cooling action of the surrounding air,the liquid products are condensed and flow out of the end of the pipe,it being sufficiently inclined toward the horizon to prevent the liquidsfrom flowing back into the distillingtower. By carefully regulating thedraft the process can be carried on, as above described, so graduallyand progressively that the mass openings into the ash-pit may be made atsuitaperture B, first, with a layer of small-sized acted on will not beexposed to flame'or fire until it is deprived of its Volatile and liquidproducts and converted into coke.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is

The combination of the vertical distillingtower A and appurtenances Withthe condenser h and the adjustable draft-passage a, or their substantialequivalents, in combination, when arranged and combined, substantiallyas hereinbefore described, so as to use the current of heated productsof combustion in its upward or natural direction.

LUTHER ATWOOD. Witnesses:

W. H. GooDNoW, JOHN M. STEARNS.

